Marlene Jennings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marlene Jennings
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Member of Parliament for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine |
|
| In office 1997–2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Warren Allmand |
| Succeeded by | Isabelle Morin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | November 10, 1951 Longueuil, Quebec |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse | Luciano Del Negro |
| Residence | Montreal |
| Profession | Non-profit executive |
Marlene Jennings PC (born November 10, 1951) is a former Canadian politician. She was a member of the Liberal Party of Canada and served in the House of Commons of Canada. She represented the area of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine from 1997 to 2011.
Contents
About Marlene Jennings
Marlene Jennings was born in Longueuil, Quebec. She went to Lemoyne d'Iberville High School in Longueuil. Her father, Preston Jennings, was an African American who came to Canada from Alabama. He worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Her mother, Gilberte Garand, had Belgian and French-Canadian family roots from Manitoba. Before becoming a politician, Marlene Jennings worked as a lawyer and a senior public servant.
Her Important Roles
Marlene Jennings held several important roles in government. She was a Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for International Cooperation. This means she helped the minister who worked with other countries. She also helped the Solicitor General of Canada, who is in charge of law enforcement. From 2004 to 2005, she was a special assistant to the Prime Minister. Her focus was on Canada's relationship with the United States.
Breaking Barriers
Marlene Jennings made history as the first Black woman from Quebec to be elected to the Canadian Parliament. This was a very important step for diversity in Canadian politics. She also faced a personal challenge when she became partially blind in 2010 due to an illness. She used visual aids and a white cane to help her. Luckily, after seven surgeries, her vision was successfully restored. Marlene Jennings was also a member of the Girl Guides of Canada when she was younger.
Her Time in Politics
Marlene Jennings took over from Warren Allmand as the Member of Parliament for the area of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine. This area was created in 1997. She was elected five times in a row, winning by a lot of votes each time. Her riding was known as a very safe area for the Liberal Party.
The 2011 Election
In the 2011 Canadian federal election, things changed a lot in Quebec. Many people voted for the New Democratic Party (NDP) in what was called Quebec's "orange wave." Because of this big shift, Marlene Jennings lost her seat. Isabelle Morin of the NDP became the new Member of Parliament for the area.
After Her Political Career
After leaving federal politics, Marlene Jennings considered running in the 2012 Quebec general election for a different political party, the Coalition Avenir Québec. However, she decided not to. She explained on Facebook that she didn't have a "passion" for provincial politics. For about two years, from 2012 to 2013, she worked as the executive director of the Montreal YMHA. She had let her membership with the Liberal Party of Canada expire, but she rejoined the party in 2014.
